APNA General Meeting Very Informative

Last night president Anne Cooper led a very informative general meeting of the Armory Park Neighborhood Association. It was well attended. Some of the highlights seem worth passing along to those who could not be there.

DeeDee means, APNA social chair presented recognition to those Christmas decorators who won prizes in the various categories:

Brian Chanecka from the main library at 101 N Stone Avenue told the group that the branch was seeking to forge closer ties with the neighborhoods nearby. He intends to attend the monthly APNA meetings to keep our community informed of activities at the library. He distributed a printed newsletter highlighting March’s activities and the month’s calendar. The best way to view the calendar and specific activities is to go to the library’s website at:https://www.library.pima.gov/locations/mai/. If you want to know about events at the library, click on the Events tab just below the main heading. If you click on the other Events tab near the top center of the page, you can see information about all library branches.

We are fortunate to have an excellent library within walking distance, and there is free parking in the underground garage if you drive. Give our library a try.

There has been concern among residents in the northeast corner of Armory Park about disturbances which may be associated with the Community Bridges facility at 250 S Toole. Dane Binder and Toby Hall came to explain the nature of the facility and answer questions or concerns.

Community Bridges, Inc. (CBI) is a private non-profit, 501(c)(3) with a 31 year history of providing comprehensive behavioral health programs which include prevention, education and treatment services. The organization offers fully integrated medical and behavioral health care in 14 communities in Maricopa, Pinal, Gila, Yuma, Navajo, Apache and Cochise Counties. The facility next to Armory Park does outpatient services and now has 32 beds for inpatients’ short stays, usually seven days or less. For longer term care, patients are referred to other services. The facility also has mobile teams to reach out to those in distress throughout the city. The teams are available 24/7 and can be alerted through their crisis line, 622-6000. When someone constitutes an imminent risk of danger to themselves or others they are typically brought to a facility called the Crisis Response Center on Ajo Rd or a hospital with a locked unit, not Community Bridges. The community, including police, have received training surrounding that point.

Questioners and commentors raised a number of points. The facility has no exterior security. Frequent police and ambulance calls caused concern. Trash is often left around the facility. The facility attracts people who may be threatening to our residents. The CBI response was that people who come there want and need help so are less inclined to cause trouble. Staff tries to get the people inside the facility and keep them there but have no legal power to restrain them from leaving. Staff has extensive experience in dealing with such patients and can usually control the situation. When necessary, staff will call 911 for police help. Such calls have a level of 2 or 3 of the 8 levels for police response priority.

Others commented that the service provided is valuable to the community and possibly lifesaving for the patients. The facility is in an industrial area and is appropriate for that zoning. There are other activities nearby which may attract noisy and inebriated people, so one should be cautious before assuming CBI is the source of a problem. Toby and Dane will report to their company executives on the meeting and relay requests for motion lighting and exterior security. If you have any questions about Community Bridges Inc, contact Dane at dbinder2@cbridges.com. The number for the admin office based in Mesa, AZ is 480-831-7566. For immediate safety concerns please contact 911.

Note: The verbiage above in italics was added based on feedback from Dane.

Martha McClements made a short presentation regarding the AP Historic Zone Advisory Board APHZAB). She explained that exterior changes required review and approval because most of Armory Park is in a Historic Preservation Zone. While that adds a little expense and inconvenience to exterior structural projects, it also preserves our neighborhood’s historic character and has a benefit of reduced property taxes. She said that the APHZAB is attempting to reach out in the community to keep our residents better informed. If in doubt about the review requirement for your project, contact her at mmcclements@earthlink.net. She also passed out this information sheet:

Final notes: A hearing on the Baffert project at 6th and 18th will be held in Mayor and Council chambers at 6:00 PM on April 12th. The final planning on sidewalk improvements is nearly complete. Since there is not enough money to do the entire neighborhood, the needs must be prioritized. If you have contributed money to the project, your need will be given priority consideration. The next porch party will be on March 24th from 5-7 PM. Further details will appear in the listserv. Armory Park del Sol will be having a potluck. Here is the invitation.